Derdale
Mill, built in 1861, was another attempt at co-operative manufacturing
under the management of the Todmorden (Derdale) Cotton and Commercial
Company. The rearing party was held in April 1862, but by November
1869, the Company was bankrupt. The
shareholders held an extraordinary general meeting in Sobriety Hall.
After a statement of the liabilities and position of the company,
it was resolved to wind up the concern, and Mr. Walker of Bury,
Mr. Joseph Stansfield and Mr. Joseph Barker of Todmorden, were appointed
liquidators to carry out the same. This was probably as a direct
result of the Cotton Panic caused by the American Civil War, resulting
in a severe downturn in trade for all cotton manufacturing businesses.

The
Derdale sizing house, photo by kind permission of Roger Birch

On 9th
February 1870, Caleb Hoyle and Henry Maden of Rockcliffe House,
Bacup, purchased the mill for £9,120. The mill was safe,
and continued in the production of textiles until about 1996.

Caleb
Hoyle was born in 1840 in Bacup, the youngest son of Joshua
Hoyle who was the head of the firm J. and J. Hoyle Brothers
of Olive and Meadow Mills in Bacup. He was educated at Mount
Pleasant Wesleyan Day School in Bacup, and his father taught
him the finer skills of the manufacturing business. In 1861,
when he was 21, Caleb was still living at home in Slack Bottom,
Bacup, with his parents and was working for his father as
a book-keeper. In July 1870, Caleb married his partner's niece,
Sarah Maden Hodson of Southport, and together they set up
home at Harley Villas in Todmorden.

York
Street Chapel

Caleb had
never been a working class man, having been brought up in
a rich man's house with all the comforts money could buy.
However, he was not one to sit back and enjoy a leisurely
life. Not only did he work hard to build up the business,
he also poured his energies into public and religious life.

He was
a life-long member of the Wesleyan Society and a Trustee of
YORK STREET CHAPEL in Todmorden for the whole of his time
in Todmorden. He was not just a member of the Chapel, but
was Treasurer to the Trust and also Treasurer to the Wesleyan
Foreign Missionary Society. When the new Sunday school was
built for the chapel in 1906, Caleb laid one of the corner
stones and his name is engraved on the stone for posterity.

Derdale
was extended and modernised under the capable management of Caleb,
although not immune from tragedy and controversy.

The
firm of Maden & Hoyle was prosecuted for contravening the Factories
Act on at least one occasion. It was accused of employing two young
persons at Derdale Mill during the lunch hour. On 11th October 1877,
the case was heard before Abraham Ormerod and John Fielden, Magistrates,
at Todmorden Town Hall. The first case was withdrawn as the witness
was not straightforward in his mode of giving evidence and the Magistrates
recorded that they did not feel justified in relying on it. In the
second case, the offence was proved. However, the firm issued summonses
against the spinning overlooker and the self-acting minder in charge
at the time, so the magistrates were lenient and decided that there
should be no fine, just a requirement for the firm to pay costs
of 9 shillings. The self-acting minder, Charles Voase, was convicted
of the offence and fined £1 plus costs of 18s.6d.

On
18th July 1879, a terrible accident occurred. The flywheel from
a weaving shed engine exploded into pieces, killing a woman named
Sarah Pilling and injuring two others, Mary Escritt and Mary Mills.
There was extensive damage to the property. An Inquest jury later
returned a verdict of accidental death on Sarah Pilling.

In
1890, Caleb's partner, Henry Maden, died and the partnership was
continued by his son up to March 1895. Then, Caleb Hoyle took over
as sole owner of the now huge concern. At that time, Caleb had the
largest local rates assessment for one individual in the whole of
the Todmorden Union. He employed over 600 people in the mill and
paid out nearly £500 a week in wages.

In addition
to the mill, he owned 72 cottages in the Millwood area where
many of his workforce lived. By now, Caleb and his large family
were resident at the lovely Roomfield House in the town, remaining
there until his death many years later.

Caleb
was heavily involved in local politics as a member of the School
Board, the Local Board and the West Riding County Council. It was
no surprise to his contempories that, when Todmorden became a Borough
in its own right in 1896, Caleb stood for election to the brand
new Borough Council as a representative of the Stansfield Ward.
He was then given the honour of being chosen by his fellow councillors
to become the very first Mayor of Todmorden, a position he held
from 1896 to 1899.

By
1904, the business was prospering to the extent that Caleb bought
a second mill. This was HOLLINS MILL in Walsden.
A few years later, Caleb Hoyle was second only to the Fielden brothers
in importance as far as cotton manufacture was concerned. He had
60,000 spindles and 1,600 looms in operation in his two mills -
the same number of looms as Fieldens.

In 1914,
Caleb died, aged 73. He is buried with his family in a grey
granite marble vault at MANKINHOLES CHAPEL.

On
being made Mayor, the local almanac reported:

"In social circles,
Mr. Hoyle is of an exceptionally genial turn of mind; he is ever
ready with his little joke, and always has a smile on his face,
and generally seems to prefer the sunny side of the street. He is
a thorough business man, and in every respect, a gentleman of superior
ability."

Copyright
Oxfordshire County Council,

who
kindly supplied this aerial picture of the mill,

taken about 1930.

His
sons Philip and Joshua took over the mills and in 1923 became
a limited company, trading as Caleb Hoyle (1923) Ltd. Philip
had responsibility for Derdale. In 1929, Joshua died unexpectedly,
leaving behind some financial problems for the family concern.
Philip sold Hollins Mill, but continued to run Derdale until
1935. He then took the decision to close, prompted by an ever-dwindling
market for his plain calico, and the cost of much needed new
machinery.

In
1936, Philip sold the firm for a nominal £5 to the Cockcroft
brothers, Leo, ( his son-in-law), Eric and Keith Cockcroft, who were
in business at BIRKS MILL in Walsden
trading as John Cockcroft & Sons. The spinning section was sub-let
to T. Hill & Co. Bedspread Printers.

The
mill continued in the textile production industry until about 1996,
the last firm being J. C .S. Textiles, who employed just 12 people,
warping and sizing blazer, duffle and uniforms. The mill was demolished
during the last few years.

Additional information

researched, recorded and referenced by Mrs Sheila Wade

Hebden Bridge WEA Local History Group

Notes from John Travis, contemporary historian:

In 1860-61 a new Joint Stock Company was formed. They leased a large plot on the Kilnhurst Estate. At first only a spinning mill was built – Derdale Mill on Halifax Road on the canal bank. The company failed. The mill was sold to Maden & Hoyle of Bacup for £9,120. They later built a large weaving shed near Sandholme canal bridge, over the road from Derdale.

4th March 1861

Memo and Articles of Association

Incorporated 12th March 1861

Nominal capital is £70,000 divided into 7,000 shares of £10 each.

Price is 2/6d a share then monthly payments of 5 shillings or more.

Shareholders:

Samuel Crossley, boot & shoe maker, 6 shares

Henry Hargreaves, overlooker, 30 shares

Joseph Stansfield, cotton manufacturer, 7 shares

Abraham Crabtree, corn miller, 4 shares

Joseph Firth, cotton manufacturer, 6 shares

Thomas Jackson, weaver, 4 shares

Joseph Baume of Gauxholme, clogger, 4 shares

Joseph Greenwood of Castle Street, shopkeeper, 6 shares

Jacob Marland of Gauxholme, carder, 5 shares

Amos Midgley, overlooker, 12 shares

Halifax Courier 23rd March 1861

Contract to let for building a new mill, engine house and boiler house near Roomfield Lane, Todmorden, for Derdale Cotton & Commercial Co.

Derdale; issuing more shares as building works going ahead at great speed.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 12th April 1862

Rearing of Derdale Mill. Public tea party and entertainment in one of the large rooms of the mill on Good Friday, 18th April.

Todmorden and Hebden Bridge Advertiser 26th April 1862

Rearing of Derdale.

Nearly 2,000 people present. Company liability limited to £70,000.

The mill is 3 storeys high; 281 feet by 72 feet with engine house and scutcher room on lower storey; throstle room and openers on 2nd storey; in top room will be mules and cotton. On the west side is one of the finest windows in the world at 29’8” x 18’4”.

The boiler house has 5 boilers, 35 feet long by 7 feet diameter and economisers.

It is the intention to build a loom shed for 700 looms, and a warehouse 100 feet x 70 feet, 3 storeys high.

It is also intended to build a number of cottages for the work people, and to make the mill and appurtenances into a little village.

“Misfortune closed share list when they did as many would have been taken up at that time, but now the working classes had other uses for their money”.

A Derdale Mill official expressed that any operative working at that firm and joining a trade society would have to leave. Mr. Crowther, secretary of the Rochdale Cotton Spinners Association, Todmorden branch, wrote to J. H. Maden, MP for Rossendale and a partner in the firm Maden & Hoyle, to ascertain the truth. Mr. Maden replied that the mill is in the hands of his partner Mr. Hoyle. Reply from Mr. Hoyle – cannot accept any assistance from you in the management of the business here.

1870 – Mr. H. Maden of Rockcliffe House, Bacup, in partnership with Caleb Hoyle, a Wesleyan Liberal on the County Council.

1890 – Mr. Maden died and his son Mr. J. H. Maden MP for Rossendale took his place.

1895 – The sole owner is now Caleb Hoyle. He employs 600 people, pays £500 a week in wages and owns 72 cottages in Millwood.

Todmorden in Coronation Year 1902

County Councillor Caleb Hoyle JP, Roomfield House, born Bacup 21st August 1840, youngest son of Joshua Hoyle of Olive and Meadow Mills, Bacup. In 1870, Henry Maden of Rockcliffe House, Bacup, in partnership with Caleb Hoyle and later took charge of their own concern at Todmorden. On 9th February 1870 Derdale Mill bought by Maden & Hoyle for £9,120. Henry Maden died in September 1890 and the partnership continued with Mr. J. H. Maden, MP for Rossendale, up to 1895, then Derdale was owned solely by Mr. Hoyle.

E. W. Cockcroft 26th May 1975

Derdale Mill deals with the processing of warps prior to going to Walsden, and part of the shed is let to Heatherdale Fabrics who make upholstery cloths. The storied part of Derdale is leased to T. Hill & Co. for printing, and they have been our tenants there since 1936.